We are a couple with a long history of love and of building a life together, but also of making joint documentaries or getting involved at the same time in social work and developmental programs among Romas. We met during our university years, both studying cultural anthropology and both keen to understand human nature and culture. After 15 years, we still ask questions about the people and the world around us - though now exploring tiny, very specific fields of scientific inquiry as PhD-students. Beside this, Eszter (wife) is working with Roma university students as a project manager and is an eager volunteer in a NGO-network; Elemér (husband) teaches youngsters in a secondary school about media, cinema, contemporary society and ethics, writes articles about film theory and runs a small art gallery.

We live in the second biggest town of Hungary, called Debrecen, that is flat and wide, having most times a quite drowsy social life, but it is friendly as well and is green in spots, at least :).

When we leave the border of the city looking ahead for an unknown destination, we live the same sensation of excitement every time. We enjoy to see new places, to just listen and be quiet but also to get involved into deep and vivid conversations with people never seen before; to travel without itineraries; to savour and discuss every midget of impressions of the travel.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

We are newbies in the CS community, but we embrace the very idea of sharing, of being open-minded and being set for the new and the unknown.

Interests

• culture
• documentaries
• cooking
• cycling
• swimming
• social science
• travelling
• cinema
• liberal arts
• local developments among roma
• hill-climbing
• eastern christianity
• palferi
• rouch

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Jim Jarmush, Mike Leigh, John Cassavettes, Béla Tarr, the Romanian New Wave, documentaries of Jean Rouch and Werner Herzog etc. We are also big fans of some series like The Bridge (Bron/Broen), Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, Orange is the New Black, Columbo.

Music: Hungarian underground music of the 80s, blues, contemporary underground techno (dowtempo, acid jazz), and sometimes classical music.

Authors: Julio Cortázar, William Golding, J. D. Salinger, Hrabal, Chekhov, Faulkner, Joyce Carol Oates, Péter Esterházy, Péter Nádas, Andrea Tompa.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

To our greatest surprize, our first documentary, despite its dreadful technical performance, won the first prize at an international documentary film festival.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Listening to you; making a good dish - Elemer (husband) is a trained cook, with many years of experience in cooking for family and friends.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

Botswana, Hungary, Romania, Zimbabwe